The Turkish Cemetery in Latvia is located in the city of Cesis, 90 kms from Riga. The cemetery and the monument cover an area of 3800 m2, belonging to the Cesis City Council.

Some of the Turkish soldiers captured by the Russian armyduring the 1877-1878 Ottoman Russian War, had been brought to the territories thattoday belong to Latvia.Due towounds or diseases, unfortunately all of themlost their livesand some were buried in the Cemetery in Cesis.

The Cemetery tookits current mausoleum formin 1937 upon theinitiative of the Turkish Embassy in Tallin,accredited to Latvia.According to therecords, 26 Turkish soldiers are buried here. The Cemetery consists of asymbolic marble stone withstar and crescentfor each grave as well asa monument with the names of thoseburied.

The inscription on the monument in the Cemetery reads, in Latvian and in Turkish (“26 Turkish soldierswho were captured in the battle of Plevna during Turkish–Russian War and died later in Cesis had been buried here. 1877 - 1937”):

“Seit Apglabati Turku-Krievu Kara Pie Plevnas

Gusta Kritusie un Cesis Mirusie 26 Turku Karaviri

1877-1937

Burada Türk-Rus Savaşında Plevne’de esir düşüp

Cesis’te ölen 26 Türk Eri Gömülüdür”

TheOffice of the Turkish Military Attache in Warsaw (then accredited to Latvia) and the Latvian War Cemeteries Committee signed a Protocolon the maintenance and restorationof the Cemetery and further research on possible other cemeteries in 2004.

Upon the conclusion of the restoration work in 2004, the Cemetery wasinauguratedby H.E. Mr Vecdi Gönül, Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Turkey on 15 September 2005.

Every year since 2015, theEmbassy organizesa commemoration ceremony on the 18th of March Martyrs' Day in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia at the Turkish Cemeteryin Cesis.

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